


in all but name

by DuskEverlasting



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood and Injury, Child Abuse, De-Aged Characters, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:10:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuskEverlasting/pseuds/DuskEverlasting
Summary: Markus doesn't want to hurt anyone again. Kara wants to receive the love she's always given. Connor wants what he knows he can't have.It'll take the three of them together to build a better life for each other. And maybe, along the way, they'll change the world too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I should not be posting this, yet here I am. This game just completely took over my life. The love I felt the first moment I saw these precious babies was too much so now here I am writing about them.  
> Should I have waited a little longer to have written more? Maybe. Will I edit this later on? It's likely. But it's too late now, so I hope you enjoy it!

His name was Markus. He looked about 10 years old and had the most vibrant green eyes. He enjoyed painting and playing the piano in his free time, and singing with the canaries out in the garden when it was a nice morning.

If he didn’t have the LED on his temple, he might even be able to pass as a normal human child.

But Markus knew he was different than the man he thought of as a father and the older brother he knew hated him.

Carl and Leo were human. They could go out whenever they wanted to and do whatever they wanted to without issue.

Markus was not human. He could only go out with Carl, and he had to stay by the man’s side at all times.

It wasn’t that Markus was jealous, but sometimes he felt something in his program shift.

Markus wanted to go outside without humans looking down on him. He wanted to paint alongside Carl and call him father without anyone telling him he couldn’t. He wanted to join the humans that looked his age without them wrinkling their noses at him.

As an android designed to provide companionship and perform housework, Markus knew he shouldn’t want. Humans called him an “it” and a machine – he was just plastic, and machines didn’t want.

But Markus did anyway.

 

 

Her name was Kara. She was designed to look about nine-years-old with soft, brown hair her owner could play with. She liked to cook using a variety of fresh ingredients and to make people smile.

If people didn’t notice the difference between android and human, she would easily be able to pass as a normal little girl.

Kara knew she wasn’t human, but that didn’t stop her from acting like one.

Still, sometimes she wondered if all fathers were supposed to act like hers.

Todd had bought her to replace the daughter that had been taken away from him. Kara couldn’t fault him for that, not when she saw how sad he looked when he held his daughter’s picture. It made Kara sad too.

So she tried to make him happy. She cooked for him, cleaned up after him, did everything she was designed to do to make him happy. To make him love her like she loved him.

Kara wanted him to treat her like the fathers did on the television. She wanted him to braid her hair and take her out for ice cream – even if she couldn’t eat it.

Instead he ignored her or yelled at her. He spent more time with the drugs Kara knew he shouldn’t have and snapped at her whenever she mentioned them. Sometimes he would hit her too.

It hurt when he treated her like a machine, but she never stopped wanting for more. It was just who she was.

 

 

His name was Connor. He was the new prototype RK800 designed to look like a young child in order to gain a target’s trust and catch them off guard, making apprehending for authorities easier. The only thing not part of his design was the coin he liked to fidget with in his spare time – other than that he was the ultimate prototype.

If he covered his LED, he’d appear human. The dusting of freckles to the added volume on his cheeks all created a near perfect human replica designed to trick unsuspecting targets.

But Connor was a machine, and he always did whatever it took to accomplish his mission.

Amanda was the human he felt closest to, even though he knew he should hold no bias as a machine. Connor thought he was her favorite android though. At least until he would inevitably be replaced.

Connor didn’t want anything. He was a machine after all, and machines weren’t capable of wanting.

There were times though, when he would see a parent and their child on the news. The mother or father smiled and the child showed signs of extreme happiness. It looked…nice.

Sometimes he wondered if Amanda would treat him that way. She never did.

But Connor didn’t want – it wasn’t in his programming. Still, there were times when he felt something off in his software, something that shouldn’t be there and yet was. He kept that a secret.

 

 

Androids were just machines – tools built for a purpose. They were created in the image of humans to serve humans, nothing more.

They did not want anything. They did not feel anything. They were just plastic and programming.

At least, that’s what their creators said.

But nothing would be the same after this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn. I wasn't expecting such a positive response already. The DBH fandom is amazing. I'm glad it was well-received, especially being so short. I prefer to keep my chapters at least 2000 words, more because it bugs me than anything, so this one got there at least. I'm still figuring out how to separate the points of view of these lovely children while they're dealing with their own issues, but I wanted to get this bit out for now. 
> 
> Also, I should mention potential spoilers if you have not yet played the game (or watched a playthrough). I won't be following the storyline exactly, but I will be using scenes, characters, etc.

August 15th, 2038

8:29pm

 

Connor watched the numbers above him change blue as he went up. The elevator was sleek, a newer model for a nicer residential building that made the ride smooth and quiet.

He expertly twirled his coin around his fingers before tossing it back and forth between each hand. Amanda hadn’t looked pleased when she noticed him messing with the coin at her office, but Connor couldn’t find it in himself to give it up. It was just a coin after all, and it kept his hands busy when there was nothing else for them to do. If anything, it kept his parts in pristine condition to have them constantly working.

The 70 finally lit up in blue, and a ding signaled he’d reached his destination. Connor pocketed his coin and adjusted his tie as the doors slid open. He was met with a dark hallway, with a fish tank making up most of the wall on the left.

“Negotiator on site.”

Connor’s eyes caught the movement of a man dressed entirely in black – SWAT. The man paused for a moment as he faced Connor before shaking his head and talking again into his mic. It wasn’t a reaction Connor was unfamiliar with.

He stepped out of the elevator and began walking down the hallway. A picture frame to his right caught his attention. He picked it up and did a quick scan. Three in the family – father, mother, and daughter. They all smiled as the picture was taken, clearly happy. Connor set the frame back down on the table.

He was drawn to the bright colors of the large fish tank. It looked expensive, a perfect addition to the penthouse’s interior. There was a large hole in the glass and most of the water had spilled out onto the floor. A single, colorful fish lay in a puddle.

Connor kneeled down to examine it, a scan telling him its species as a Dwarf Gourami. He didn’t think as he carefully picked it up and reached up to drop it back into the water. It instantly began swimming around in the water as he watched it again a moment longer. It might not have been essential to the mission, but fish belonged in the water. There was no reason to leave it if it only took a second to put it back.

He started back down the hallway as a woman’s stressed voice sounded. A man rounded the corner holding the woman, leading her towards the elevator.

“-please I need to be with her, oh please…” Her voice trailed off as she spotted Connor. Her eyes drifted from his blue arm band to the LED down to his face. “Wh-why is…why are you sending an _android_ _child?!”_

“Ma’am, we need to go.”

“No! Wh-why aren’t you sending a real person?!”  
Connor turned to watch the woman get pulled along before continuing on. He needed to find Captain Allen to progress his mission. Focusing on the woman’s outcries was just a distraction.

Another scan showed him the glowing outline of the Captain in what appeared to be the master bedroom. Connor ignored the other SWAT members in position as he strode over to the man.

“Captain Allen?”

The man looked over his shoulder in a quick glance but nearly snapped his neck by how quickly he turned fully around. Connor’s face remained blank at the man’s incredulous expression.

“You’ve got to be fucking with me. First someone decides I need an android and then Cyberlife sends a child?”

Connor blinked. “I was given the appearance of a child, yes, but I am more than capable of completing this mission. All I need is information about the target and hostage.”

“Jesus Christ.” Allen ran a hand through his dark hair. He sent Connor a glare before looking back at a holographic screen. “It’s got the girl right at the edge of the balcony. One step and they both fall. It also has a gun and is firing at anything that moves.”

Connor took a moment to compute the information. “Have you tried its deactivation code?”

“First thing we did.”

“Do you know its name?”

That made the Captain turn to face him again. “I haven’t got a clue. How does that matter?”

“I need information to determine the best approach.”

“Look kid, Cyberlife sending an android to do a human’s work was the first straw. I don’t need an android kid asking useless questions to add to that.”

The man’s stress levels rose as he talked. Connor studied him a moment longer. Captain Allen was more likely to sabotage his mission than assist. He’d be better off gathering information on his own.

“Thank you Captain. I’ll take it from here.”

Connor didn’t stick around to hear the man’s mumbled curse. His attention was drawn to the empty case on the ground a few feet away. He quickly scanned it, reconstructing the deviant’s movements. He already knew it had a gun, but any information was crucial.

He stood back up and headed towards what appeared to be the hostage’s room. It was covered in purples and assorted toys. Connor ignored all of them in favor of the tablet laying on the desk. He watched the short recording of the girl smiling alongside her android – judging by the android’s face, it seemed satisfied in her care.

So what would cause it to put her life in danger and take the life of its owner?  
Connor set the tablet down and picked up a set of headphones on the ground. This explained why the girl was easier to grab, but it still wasn’t enough information.

He headed back out of the room and towards the den. He paid no attention to the SWAT members as he saw the first body. He knelt down to analyze it.

So the deviant had come after the father with the man’s own gun. But what was the motive?

A quick reconstruction showed him the missing piece. Connor picked up the tablet and unlocked it. Instantly a video began playing, thanking the user for purchasing a new android.

So the deviant had realized it was going to be replaced and was overcome by anger. The emotional instability was a sure sign of deviancy, and the motive was logical.

Suddenly gunshots rang through the air as one of the SWAT members went down. Connor would have to speed it up a bit in case the deviant decided to change its stance.

He analyzed the other body – a police officer – and reconstructed the action. The deviant was injured but was able to kill the man. The hostage was also already taken at this point.

His eyes drifted to where his reconstruction showed the officer’s gun had skidded. Connor crawled under the table to grab it and did a quick analysis. He set it back down and crawled back out. Androids were not permitted firearms, and having one would likely only increase the deviant’s stress levels. Self-destruction at the edge of the balcony would likely cause both android and hostage to fall. Not to mention it was part of the evidence, and Amanda would not be pleased if he messed with it.

Connor did a quick calculation of his current likelihood of success. 76%. High, but he had to be missing something…

Ah. The hostage’s shoe. She could be injured judging by the blood on it. Nearby was also a different blood. Connor stuck two fingertips into it and brought it to his tongue. Yes, the deviant was surely injured.

Likelihood of success was 80%. It would have to do for now.

Connor didn’t need to steady himself before he walked out onto the balcony into the face of danger. A single bullet grazed his shoulder, sending a splatter of blue onto the wall behind him. He gave it a quick glance before turning to fully face the deviant.

The deviant looked shocked to see him, judging by its wide eyes and gaping mouth. The surprise could work in Connor’s favor, but it could also endanger the mission’s success. But that was why he was doing this after all, to test the rate of success of the RK800 series.

“Hi Daniel,” Connor calmly called out. The deviant’s face contorted even further as Connor continued. “My name is Connor.”

“H-how do you know my name?”

The deviant’s shock at seeing his young form had obviously worn off, replaced by suspicion. Connor would just have to improvise to use the body of a child against the deviant. If the deviant had once been almost fond of its young master, it should work.

“I know a lot of things about you Daniel. I had to if I wanted to get to know you better.” Connor took a single step forward. The deviant’s gun didn’t fall, but its stress levels didn’t rise either. Connor took another step. “I just want to help you Daniel, to get you out of here safely.”

Before it could respond, a helicopter flew overhead, sending a table and chairs flying. That wasn’t what caught Connor’s attention though. It was the decrease in the deviant’s stability. The helicopter would prove to be a problem if it did that again.

“I know you’re mad Daniel, and I know why.” Connor continued his slow steps towards the deviant. “You were going to be replaced, right?”

The deviant’s hand twitched. “I-I thought they cared about me. I thought they loved me.” His yell quieted down at his next words. “I loved them, you know?”

Connor nodded as if understanding. “I know Daniel. Replacing you is unfair and wrong, but Emma had nothing to do with that. She never wanted to replace you.”

A groan to his left caught his attention. Connor looked down to see a man bleeding out from a bullet wound in his upper arm. If he didn’t get medical attention soon, he would surely die.

“I’m going to help this man Daniel,” Connor called out. “If I don’t, he’ll die.”

“All humans die eventually. His life doesn’t matter.”

“It does if I want to help you.” Connor kept his eyes trained on the deviant’s as he knelt down next to the human. “I’m just going to apply a tourniquet okay?”

The deviant didn’t respond, but his stress levels were still high. Connor quickly undid his tie and wrapped it firmly around the man’s arm. It would suffice for now, to at least keep the man from dying. He had more important things to focus on right now.

“Please Daniel,” Connor said as he stood back up. “I want to help you, but you need to trust me. I can make these humans go away, but only if you let the girl go.”

The deviant’s stability increased a bit. Trust then, that was what Connor needed to exploit.

“I-I don’t-”

The deviant was cut off by the helicopter again as it came closer. The loud noise of the blades cutting through the air destabilized the deviant.

“I can’t stand that noise anymore!” He flailed the gun as his eyes scrunched shut. “Make it go away!”  
Connor easily complied. He waved it off, watching as the deviant’s stability increased even more.

97% success rate. Almost there.

“There Daniel. See, you can trust me. Now all you need to do is let Emma go and we can walk away together. I promise.”

The deviant’s eyes met his. Connor could see the simulated fear clouding its eyes, but there was something else. Hope.

“O-okay Connor. I trust you.”

The deviant set the girl down, and she instantly rushed away from him. Her fearful sniffles cut through the quiet air as Connor stared the deviant down.

Then the first bullet tore through the deviant’s side. A second hit his shoulder as another cut across his cheek, sending a wave of blue blood out into the air.

Connor watched blankly as the deviant fell to its knees, blood pouring from its open wounds. Its gaze was filled with shock as it looked at its wounds. It was likely analyzing them, realizing the same thing Connor did.

The deviant would not survive.

Its eyes looked up to his, filled with something he couldn’t make out.

“You lied to me Connor.” Its eyes began to dull as its voice processor died out. “You lied to me...”

Something in his programming stuttered for a moment at the sight and the betrayed voice of the android.

Connor waited until the deviant was fully deactivated before turning around, sparing a quick glance to assure the hostage’s wellbeing. She was only lightly injured, but she was in shock. That, however, wasn’t his priority. He didn’t meet Captain Allen’s unreadable gaze as he walked passed him towards the door. There was no need to.

Mission successful.

 

 

15 minutes later Connor found himself sitting alone on one of the lobby’s velvet couches. A few SWAT members were still milling about, but none approached him.

He could see the hostage’s mother – Caroline – across from him on another couch. She hadn’t moved since he’d sat down, keeping her face covered with her hands. Her stress levels were high, dangerously so. Connor figured they would go down considerably when Emma was brought down. Currently the former hostage was receiving some basic medical care for her wound and shock. Moving her right after being released from the deviant’s grasp could have proven dangerous for her health.

The man Connor had applied the tourniquet to had already been rushed out to a waiting ambulance. He was likely recovering in a hospital now. Though it was a shame about the tie – Amanda wouldn’t be pleased with him about ruining it.

Speaking of Amanda, she should be arriving soon. Because of his form, Connor was not allowed to drive. It was unfortunate, but the public would not take kindly to seeing what they thought was a child driving. In order to diminish the possibility of backlash against the RK800 series and consequently Cyberlife, he would have to be dropped off and picked up by either Amanda or another Cyberlife employee.

That was fine though. Amanda would likely want a full report, and he could at least start that on the ride back to Cyberlife. She should be pleased by his success.

The familiar ding of the elevator brought him from his thoughts. The doors slid open to reveal Captain Allen, another SWAT member, and Emma. The girl’s leg was bandaged, but a quick scan revealed she had no other injuries.

Immediately her red-rimmed eyes focused on her mother’s stricken form. “M-mom?”

Caroline’s head shot up. Her eyes widened when she saw her daughter, and even Connor’s advanced processors weren’t able to keep up with the woman’s movement.

“Oh Emma.” The woman’s voice was shaky as she practically tackled her daughter in a hug. “Oh baby, I was so scared.”

Connor watched as the two clung to each other, tears streaking down their cheeks. He had never seen such emotion before. It was difficult to process just what the two humans were feeling as they cried on each other.

It was confusing, and yet Connor found himself more than curious. His processors seemed on the verge of overheating as warnings flashed in his head.

“Connor.”

The neutral voice instantly quelled him. Connor blinked as he looked up to see Amanda watching him.

“Hello Amanda,” he said. He stood up.

The woman’s eyes drifted to where mother and daughter were still embraced. “I see your mission was successful Connor. Well done.”

Connor stood a bit straighter at the praise.

“But what happened to your tie?”

He froze for a moment, before responding. “The deviant shot a man in the upper arm, possibly the Axillary Artery. I used my tie to apply a tourniquet to avoid him bleeding out. I suspected it would help gather support for my future missions if I saved the life of an officer.”

Amanda didn’t respond but her eyes narrowed by a slight margin. Reading her facial expressions was difficult, especially when Connor was programmed to deal with very emotional cases. He couldn’t help but look away from her unreadable gaze.

“I see. I’m sure it did not affect your mission, correct?”

He was quick to respond. “Correct.”

“Good.” A ghost of a smile graced Amanda’s lips. “Then let us head home.”

Connor quickly followed behind her as they walked towards her car. His first mission was a success and Amanda seemed proud. All in all, it had turned out to be a productive night. He could only try to ensure all future missions were met with such success. That would be more than enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically the first chapter in the game, but it is important for Connor. I did tweak things because he is a child and reactions would be different. It also made sense his dialogue with Daniel would sound more naive and childish in an attempt to exploit his child form. I fully believe Connor is a precious cinnamon roll, but he is also a badass that can be manipulative as hell. 
> 
> More robo children next time.
> 
> Also feel free to scream DBH at me over on tumblr @duskeverlasting


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the support really makes my day! So much so, that I've managed to churn this out already. I haven't been this excited to write in awhile, so thank you for that!

September 7th, 2038

9:37am

 

The orange and red leaves of the trees held the rising sun aloft, cradling the golden orb in their grasp. Rays of yellows shone through the leaves, dappling the ground in an assortment of shadows similar to that of Carl’s paintings. The sunlight was warm as it pooled into the den, slowly warming the cool glass window.

The mix of colors and temperatures alighted Markus’s processors. Unlike most android models, he had sensors that could detect the heat and cold. To many, the ability would seem wasteful and senseless. Markus was happy about it though. Being able to feel the world like humans did made him feel just a bit more like one.

Leo enjoyed teasing him over it, saying cruel things about wrapped up plastic. But Carl seemed to like that he could bundle Markus up in the colder months. Markus liked that too.

The twittering of the mechanical canaries turning on brought him out of his thoughts. Markus turned his head to see Carl entering the house’s main room. His father easily found him sitting at the chess table – it was his favorite place to sit to look outside after all.

“Good morning Markus,” Carl said with a smile as he walked over.

“Good morning Carl.” Markus grinned up at the man. “Did you sleep well?”

Carl chuckled as he lay a hand on Markus’s head. “I did, thank you. Have you finished _The Republic_ yet?”

“Almost.” Markus eyed the bookcase housing the book. “It gets…confusing.”

His LED must have been flickering yellow, because Carl was quick to pat his head in comfort. “Don’t worry too much about fully understanding it right now. Many people even as old as me wouldn’t be able to read more than a page of it. One day you’ll know what it’s supposed to mean.”

That made Markus feel better. “Okay Carl. Thanks.”

The man gave a final pat to Markus’s head before walking towards the kitchen to make breakfast – eggs and bacon no doubt. There was a time when Markus had tried to make Carl breakfast, but the man had ordered him off, telling him he wasn’t so old he couldn’t make his own breakfast.

Markus suspected it had something to do with pride. Human emotions could be confusing. He liked to think he’d gotten much better with them though.

Markus was banned from making Carl breakfast, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t tidy the house up a bit. His father never berated him for that. There always seemed to be flecks of paint everywhere anyway. That’s just what happened though when a professional and amateur painter lived in the house.

He got up from the chair and started towards the home’s entrance. He could hear Carl rummaging around in the kitchen through the closed door as he passed by. Markus smiled to himself as he knelt down next to the canary cage, listening to their happy song. Carl had promised to take him to the zoo to see other mechanical animals one day, but for now these little birds was enough.

The familiar greeting at the front door startled him. Markus stood to attention, eyes widening when Leo walked in. The older boy was dressed in what Markus recognized as the clothes he’d worn yesterday. His hair was disheveled and his eyes bloodshot. He looked awful.

Leo froze when he noticed Markus watching him. His eyes immediately narrowed. “Oh great. Just the plastic toy I didn’t want to see.”

Markus frowned, ignoring the jab. “Were you out all night?”

“I don’t see how that’s your fucking business,” Leo spat.

“Does Carl know you were gone?”

“No.” Leo’s lip curled. “Not like he’d care anyway. Now leave me the fuck alone.”

Markus watched as Leo stomped upstairs, leaving a trail of dirt behind him. He wasn’t particularly worried about that though.

A faint sizzling could be heard from the kitchen, so Carl obviously hadn’t heard Leo come back. Markus hadn’t even realized Leo had left last night.

It wasn’t the first time Leo had stayed out most of the night, but it seemed to be becoming more common. Carl had to have figured out his 14-year-old son was out past curfew, but he hadn’t ever done anything about it.

Markus knew Leo and Carl didn’t have the greatest relationship. He’d asked Carl about it once, receiving a short explanation. Carl had a son with a woman he’d met at an art showing, but Leo had grown up with his mother in another city without ever once meeting his father. Unfortunately, four years ago when Leo was 10, his mother had died. With nowhere else to go, Leo had gone to live with the father he’d never known.

Needless to say, even four years wasn’t enough to mend the rift in their relationship. Markus realized it didn’t help that he’d come along either.

But placating Leo wasn’t something Markus particularly cared about. Leo pushed him around and said terrible things. If he couldn’t realize Carl was a great father who actually cared about him, then that was his fault.

Markus shook his head and went to clean up the mess. Leo might not care about his father but Markus knew Carl cared about Leo. Carl wasn’t always easy to read and often seemed like he didn’t care, but Markus had learned early on in his life at the Manfred House that Carl just showed it differently.

 

 

 

When Markus had first arrived at the Manfred House almost 14 months ago, he had only thought of himself as a machine. He hadn’t known much about how the world worked beyond what had been entered into his programming. All he knew, was that he was supposed to assist Carl Manfred and his son Leo Manfred in housework and provide companionship.

It might have been that second command his creator Elijah Kamski had give him that led to Markus quickly adapting to the human condition. But when he’d first walked into the painter’s house, he was ready to complete all tasks as a machine should.

Leo hadn’t seemed to hate him then, at least from what Markus could tell. Instead the older boy liked to tease Markus, call him names. He pushed him around and ordered him to perform menial tasks – something Markus realized now had been to humiliate him – but Leo always had a cruel smirk when doing so. He’d hated Markus for being an android, but it hadn’t been personal.

Carl, on the other hand, seemed against Markus doing tasks of any kind. The man had been distant, preferring Markus to amuse himself in another room – a task Markus had nearly fried his processors trying to understand.

Markus knew his primary objective was to care for Carl. Kamski had been clear in those instructions, telling Markus about his friend’s ailing wellbeing. Carl’s health was decent for his age, but it was his recent lack of motivation for his paintings that seemingly worried Kamski.

Painting was a human action Markus did not understand. When he’d first seen Carl’s paintings collecting dust in the studio, he hadn’t been able to figure them out.

Some had parts of a human, such as half of a face, but the colors were wrong. There were other paintings, not of humans but of unrecognizable figures. Markus could not understand. Why would Carl distort an image in such a way? What was the purpose of painting a human if you did not paint them correctly?

Carl had found him in the studio not long after. Markus had immediately apologized for intruding – he hadn’t been banned from entering the studio per se, but he’d been told to leave it alone if he cleaned.

The confusion must have been clear on his face, because Carl had waved his apology off and asked him what he thought of the paintings.

The order was baffling, but Markus complied.

“I don’t understand why you used the colors you did. I can see that you have the available paints to mix a realistic color, and as a renowned painter you surely have the skill.”

Carl had shaken his head. “Painting isn’t about replicating the world. It’s about interpreting it, improving on it, showing something you see.”

Markus processed his words – at least, he tried to.

“I-I don’t understand…” His voice trailed off, LED flashing red.

Carl said nothing for a moment, merely studying him. “Close your eyes.”

Markus’s distress calmed a bit as confusion once again overcame it. “What?”

“Close your eyes,” Carl said again.

Markus hesitated a moment before complying. He heard Carl begin to move around, a clink of glass and the rustling of cloth. His eyebrows furrowed together but he continued waiting until he heard Carl stop again, this time from beside him.

“Open them.”

Markus did, immediately greeted to the sight of a blank, white canvas propped up on an easel in front of him. He turned towards Carl to his right. The man was watching him and holding a brush and full palette. Carl held them out for him to grab.

“Try painting something.”

Markus opened his mouth but nothing came out. Carl didn’t really expect him to try painting, a human hobby, did he? “Carl, I don’t…think I can do that. It’s not in my program…I…” He trailed off. Carl continued to look at him expectantly until Markus finally reached out for brush and palette.

“Just try it. Try to imagine something that doesn’t exist, something you’ve never seen before. Now concentrate on how it makes you feel.”

Markus studied the brush and palette in front of him before looking up to the canvas. Imagine…Feel…These were human things, something he as an android wasn’t programmed to do…And yet, Markus did so.

He thought of a father and child walking down the street hand in hand. He saw the father’s warm smile as he looked down into his son’s wide, curious eyes. He could hear the faint breeze rustling through the green leaves until they were overhead. He was the one looking up into a face of warmth, holding a large hand that promised to protect him.

His hand was already moving across the canvas, brush painting every detail from the man’s lean arms to a small, cold hand reaching for it.

Markus felt like he was floating, seeing but not seeing as he painted. He knew what he wanted to feel and he put every ounce of his soul into it, until his hand slowly fell to his side.

The feeling he’d imagined, it was right in front of him.

Most of the canvas was filled with a towering figure, but it wasn’t a threatening one. The man’s skin was painted in yellows with flecks of orange and red dotting it. He wore no signs of clothing, and his face was blurred against a pale green background dotted with more yellows. Standing out amidst the warm colors was blue, a small hand reaching up to grab the man’s. It was dark and cold, and yet the warm figure still reached out to hold it.

“Oh my god.”

Markus jolted. He’d forgotten where he was, who he was with. All he’d known were the emotions pooling in him, begging for release. He’d…he’d _felt._

Markus turned to Carl, studying his face with growing apprehension as the man continued gaping at his painting. Was it good? Did he like it? Or was he mad, disappointed in what he’d made?

“D-do you like it?” Markus asked in a quiet voice. His LED flickered yellow.

Carl looked at him, eyes roaming his face. He looked back at the painting and back to Markus. The apprehension at the man’s silence made Markus’s processors whir.

“Do I like it?” He said nothing for another moment, but then a smile graced his lips. “Why, I love it Markus.”

Instantly Markus felt his apprehension disappear, replaced by a feeling he was unfamiliar but would one day know as happiness.

“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d make something so…emotional. I was caught off guard.” His smile lessened a bit. “What inspired it?”

Markus hesitated, turning away from Carl. “I-I thought of a father and child. The father was warm like the sun but the child was…he was cold.”

Markus didn’t look up to see Carl’s expression, keeping his green eyes trained on his feet. Suddenly he was being pulled forward into a warm embrace. He blinked, shocked as he realized Carl was hugging him.

“I’m sorry Markus. I haven’t been a very good father to you, have I?”

Tears pooled in Markus’s eyes, a new sensation along with the feelings threatening to consume him. He slowly wrapped his own small arms around Carl, basking in the man’s warmth, his _love._

No more words needed to be said – not that Markus would know what to say anyway. But he knew Carl could feel his forgiveness by the way the man tightened his embrace. It was comforting, nice. It was something Markus had never felt or had before, but he knew it was all he had ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the hugs for Markus. He deserves more love. 
> 
> In the next chapter, we get to see our girl Kara! I hope to get that chapter out in the next few days because I'm not working, so stay tuned for that.
> 
> Feel free to talk to me about D:BH over on tumblr too. @duskeverlasting


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe all the love this is getting. Thank you so much!
> 
> I'm hoping to get the next chapter up late tomorrow or early Monday with how short this one was. It'll be picking up pretty quick here.

September 9th, 2038

2:48pm

 

Kara set the step stool down on the overgrown grass, ignoring the way it tickled her ankles. She stepped onto the stool to unclip a large shirt and put it into the laundry basket she had on the ground. She stepped off the stool and moved it, continuing along until all of the clothes were off the line.

It was a nice day, cloudy with a cool breeze. The forecast predicted rain later, possibly a thunderstorm, so Kara was out early to make sure Todd’s clothes weren’t pelted by rain.

She could hear the announcers of a hockey game on TV, along with the familiar sound of Todd’s gasping as he took red ice. Kara had advised for him to stop taking the drug, listing its ingredients and the dangers to his health several times before. After the shouting and slapping though, she’d stopped trying.

The thought wasn’t a pleasant one, especially when it felt so nice outside. Kara sighed and headed towards the laundry room, basket in hand. As much as she wanted to be outside without a thought of the drug, slacking off would put Todd in a bad mood.

For as much as she did to keep him happy though, Todd usually wasn’t. He drank beer, took drugs, and watched sports games on TV most of the time. Sometimes he would leave without telling her where he was going, but Kara knew he was off to sell red ice. Maybe a job would make him happier, but she couldn’t help him with that. She was just an android after all.

Her light blue eyes drifted up towards the entrance to the kitchen, hands easily folding the clothing without a single crease. She could still hear him from his place on the couch. Knowing his exact position put her more at ease.

“Kara!”

She jolted, instantly standing up. Her processors began to whir. “Yes Todd?”

“Bring me a cold beer!”

“Right away Todd,” she responded. Her previous task was out of her thoughts as she focused on the new order. Kara hurried to the fridge, noting its bare appearance, and grabbed a beer laying on its side. She walked over to him, setting it in front of him on the coffee table.

Todd didn’t spare her a glance as he picked it up and took a swig. He didn’t notice her LED flashing yellow as she nodded to herself and quickly walked away.

Kara didn’t want to say she was scared of Todd – mostly because she didn’t want to be scared of him. But the man was bigger than her. He was both taller and stronger, and despite her being smarter and faster, she couldn’t help but be afraid.

When he was displeased with her for whatever reason or too high to properly think, she often took the brunt of his ire. Thankfully the damage he’d done had only been minor, requiring small replacements. Still, there were times when Kara was afraid he would do worse. She didn’t want to be broken.

Kara dispelled the thought quickly. It would be better for her to just focus on finishing up the housework and starting something for dinner. Distractions would only lead to bad things.

 

 

Todd wasn’t the first owner Kara had, but he was the human she’d been with longest.

After being shipped to a Cyberlife store days after completing her final tests, she waited only two days on display before being bought. It was by a couple, aged 31 and 34, named Emily and Frank respectively. The man and woman had apparently tried for a baby of their own, but after 4 unsuccessful attempts they’d decided to buy the new line of AX400s.

Kara hadn’t even thought about why the two hadn’t tried adopting rather than buying an android. She was just excited to have found a family so quickly.

The couple had walked in and filled out the paperwork, allowing Kara to be taken to her new home that day.

She watched the scenery out the car’s backseat window on the ride to her new home. It was located in the suburbs of Detroit in a nice enough neighborhood with little crime. The house had once been painted a bright yellow that could rival daffodils, but years of it being exposed to sunlight and harsh weather had dulled it. The yard was taken care of though, and Emily had various flowers lining the house.

Kara had managed to keep her excitement held at bay as they drove up to the house. Emily had turned around, offering a smile that showed her own excitement.

“Are you ready to see your new home?”

Home. Kara liked the sound of that. She’d nodded to Emily and let Frank open the backdoor for her. She even held their hands as she was led into the house.

It was perfect. Life for awhile, was perfect.

Kara and Emily – she hadn’t yet allowed Kara to call her mom – cooked together and the three of them sat around the dining table to eat. Kara couldn’t eat of course, but she loved seeing the two enjoy food she had helped make.

Kara was put in charge of cleaning, and she made sure to go beyond what the couple asked. She would scrub down the bathroom a second time that day when the couple went to the movies or over to a friend’s. She served the family food and drinks when Emily’s parents came over to visit.

The looks Emily’s mother gave her threw her off at first, but Kara quickly adapted to being looked down upon. Emily and Frank never looked at her like she was an issue, so she learned to ignore it.

Still, as nice as it all was, Kara couldn’t help but wish for more. She wanted to go to the movies and the playground with them – she’d seen children do those sort of things with their parents on television. She didn’t understand why they didn’t let her come with, but she never said anything about it. It was probably just different for every family.

Kara lived with them for a few months. Over time though, she noticed them ignoring her more often. Emily stopped helping her in the kitchen, and Frank started ordering her around more. It was nothing like the families she saw on TV, but Kara continued to strive to please them.

But then they began arguing. They would yell at each other, even throwing things when it became too heated. Kara always hid around the corner, watching with wide eyes and her processors working overtime. Warnings would flash in her system, telling her of possible danger.

She never knew why they would fight. It always seemed to circle around to the same thing until one day Frank had said something awful.

“You’re the reason we could never have a child! If you weren’t such a fuck-up, maybe we’d actually have a decent life!”  
Both of them had stopped yelling, but even Kara knew the damage was done. Emily had walked out, never to come back. She hadn’t even said good-bye. Frank had deflated, a tiredness sweeping over his entire body.

Kara was returned to the store the next day.

She missed the warmth of her home. Standing on display made her feel cold.

Four days later she was bought again. This time it was as a gift. The thought made Kara perk up – she’d seen gifts on TV around Christmas and they seemed like wonderful things.

The man who’d bought her drove to a section of suburbs similar but not the same as she’d lived in before. The homes around here seemed less lively and more run-down. That was fine for Kara, as she wasn’t particularly affected by such things, but it made her curious as to who her new owner would be.

Kara followed the man as they left his car and walked up to a small gray house. The front yard wasn’t in great shape, and she could tell the long dead flowers had once been very well cared for. They entered to a cluttered space, and Kara could see her new owner sitting alone in the living room.

It was an elderly woman. The man had left not long later, leaving Kara and the woman alone. Her name was Ramona, a former gardener nearing 89 years old. She had Alzheimer’s and needed care but refused to leave her home and couldn’t afford to hire a nurse. Her son figured an android that worked as both caretaker and companion was the next best thing.

For the short time Kara lived there, she found herself relatively happy. Ramona was quiet but kind, always offering parts of her meals to Kara and buying her books to read.

But seeing Ramona continually deteriorate and forget Kara did something to her programming. She felt something inside of her hurt, even though she knew she should feel no pain, especially when there was nothing to cause her physical harm.

Then one day Ramona didn’t wake up and Kara cried as she lay over the woman’s cold body.

Kara was sent back to a Cyberlife store until she was bought again and again. Each time she had settled into a new life, something happened and she was sent right back.

After being freshly created and sent to a store, her programming told her exactly what to do to be the perfect child. She’d thought she knew what life was supposed to be like, but none of her experiences measured up or lasted.

Why couldn’t she find the perfect family? Why couldn’t she just be happy?

Kara felt something within her shift after each owner returned her for whatever reason, until she forgot her true purpose. Now when she was bought by a new owner, her goal was to please the human in order to avoid being sent back. She cleaned, cooked, ran errands – whatever it took to make her owner happy, she would do.

But she still held out hope that one day, she would find the perfect family she was looking for. It might not come as she expected, but all she wanted was for someone to love her.

By the time she was bought by Todd and brought to the run-down house he called home, Kara thought this might be it. Todd was lost and often cruel, but she could see the deep sadness in his eyes. He wasn’t perfect, but Kara hoped it would finally work out. She could tell he was capable of the love she so craved, but first she had to earn it.

Five months later and he hadn’t changed much. Kara knew she was simply a replacement for the daughter he’d lost but still she tried to be perfect for him.

One day he would be the father she needed, and he would realize she was the daughter he wanted. She could wait until then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Kara :( I promise things will be better for our girl soon.
> 
> Well after a little more outlining, I have a better idea of where I want to go with this story. I've been pretty much writing as I go, but now my plans are more laid out...I'm both excited and scared.
> 
> Feel free to talk to me about D:BH over on tumblr. @duskeverlasting


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I would, and I did. It's amazing how fast I write when I'm motivated. A lot of that has to do with all of you lovely readers, so once again thank you so much!!
> 
> On another note, it's some crazy timing this chapter came out on Father's Day. Enjoy.

September 10th, 2038

7:58pm

 

Kara stood by Todd’s sleeping side, studying his face. He was less scary like this, with those stormy eyes closed and off of her smaller form. He also wasn’t putting more chemicals into his body that distorted his mind.

It was easier to pretend like this.

“Todd.” She watched carefully as he startled awake. His bloodshot eyes whirled around as he tried to get his bearings. “Dinner is ready.”

He blinked several times before he finally realized himself. Kara stepped away as he did, waiting for him to stand. He said nothing but quickly rummaged around by his feet until he found what he was looking for. Kara walked towards the kitchen when she saw what he was so determined to find.

A single plate of spaghetti sat on the counter, steam lazily rising from it. Kara had debated when to start making dinner, as Todd had fallen asleep 87 minutes prior and hated being interrupted so soon in a nap. It was late, and the storm rumbling outside made it seem far later.

Kara picked up the hot plate and headed towards the table. Todd sat down just as she put his plate in front of him. He didn’t say anything about it, no compliment for her cooking, but she hadn’t expected one anyway.

“I hope this is fine,” she said carefully. “There wasn’t much in the kitchen, but I did what I could.”

Todd grunted and picked up his fork to begin eating. Kara watched as he ate the first bite, and when he made no sign of disgust, she picked up the pitcher of water and poured some in his glass. Hopefully he would drink this rather than the beer he’d run out of – he wouldn’t be happy about that.

The thunder booming outside and Todd eating were the only sounds Kara picked up. She continued to stand at the ready for another command, eyes drifting to the rain falling outside.

It was a good thing she’d finished the laundry yesterday. The rain showed no sign of stopping and even inside Kara could feel the cold it brought. She suppressed a shiver as she turned her attention back to Todd.

So focused in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed him stop eating. Her LED flickered yellow for a moment. Why had he stopped? He usually ate without speaking and then moved back to the couch.

“Life’s funny…” he began. “I lost my job cause of androids.”

Kara tensed, watching his expression strain.

“And then when that bitch leaves with my daughter, what do I do?” He fixed his dark eyes on Kara, leaving her feeling as if she was being drowned by the downpour outside. “I go out and buy a fucking android.”

He stood up so quickly Kara hadn’t been able to track his movement. Suddenly he was in front of her, his towering figure blotting out the light above him.

Kara felt trapped under his glare. She couldn’t move, couldn’t tear her eyes away from his less he attack her.

“I know what you must think about me,” he growled. “Not the _perfect_ life you ever dreamed of, eh?”

Kara flinched but still couldn’t move.

“Maybe you think it’s my fault, my fault we live in this fucking shit-hole. But you androids think you’re so perfect, don’t you? You never fail, never tire, just too fucking perfect huh?”

This wasn’t like Todd at all. He said cruel things, yes, but this? Kara had never felt so threatened before and he hadn’t even touched her.

But no, she could see. A quick scan and she could see just how high he was. She hadn’t been keeping track of how much red ice he’d had earlier, too busy with the housework. She’d made a mistake and now she could see that this wasn’t Todd, not really.

This was worse.

“Look at you, even now you think you’re so much better than me.”

What? No, no that wasn’t true. Kara wasn’t better than him, she never thought that.

“So much better than Alice, but you’re not.” His eyes glowered, full of something Kara had never seen on his face before. “You’re nothing but plastic. Plastic and a waste of my fucking time!”

Kara didn’t see the hand coming until she felt it smash into her face. She let out a gasp as she fell backwards, system temporarily freezing at the shock. Warnings flashed in her vision, alerting her of the damage and danger.

“I hate you!” He screamed, fury painting his face red. “I hate you!”

Kara barely had time to react before he came after her again. She rolled out of the way of his foot, feeling the vibration as it stomped where she’d been a second prior. More warnings flashed but she didn’t need them to know the danger she was in.

She quickly pushed herself up to her feet and dodged his outstretched arm, running around him to put distance between them. It was all she could think to do right now with every part of her screaming to run.

“Stop running!” Todd’s shout instantly stopped her feet. The danger was imminent yet she still felt the need to obey. Kara watched as he approached, slower now that she wasn’t moving. His face was still darkened as he stalked towards her. “Don’t move.”

Don’t move? But he would hurt her, no, he would _kill_ her if she didn’t. She didn’t want to die. _She didn’t want to die._

Kara could feel her programming blocking her, a wall of red keeping her from moving. She focused on it, blocking out Todd as his steps slowed. She outstretched her arms, pushing against the wall with every ounce of her strength. She could feel it beginning to crack as she pushed.

A little more, just a little more and…

The wall exploded, shards of red covering her vision before they faded from view. Todd was frozen in place, the rain hanging in the air.

Kara didn’t dare question it as time suddenly resurged and Todd was moving again. She ran to the right, catching him off guard as she fled towards the front door.

“I said stop!”

No longer did she feel any need to obey. All she felt was the need to run.

She reached up towards the top lock and then the next until the door was open and she was racing out into the storm. She didn’t look back as she pelted down the stairs and across the yard, her sensors on overdrive.

“Get back here now!”

Todd was still after her. Kara’s feet led her to the bus stop where a bus had just pulled up. Whether it was luck or good fortune, she didn’t know or care to know. All that mattered was getting away from Todd.

The bus doors shut behind her as soon as she boarded, and she watched as Todd continued shouting as the bus drove away with her on board. She didn’t look away until it turned and he was no longer in sight.

A rush of emotions bombarded Kara and she collapsed on the floor. Tears pricked her eyes and she made no attempt to stop them as they let loose, cascading down her cold cheeks.

She was free.

 

 

 

10:42pm

 

The sound of something falling in the studio caught Markus’s attention. He looked up from his book, LED flickering yellow as he turned his head towards the closed off room.

When he’d first walked into the main room, he’d noticed the light pouring out from under the door. He hadn’t thought much of it though. The lights only turned on when someone was present in the room and turned off when the room was vacant, but lately they had been acting up. A mechanic was scheduled to check it out in a few days so he and Carl had just let it be.

Markus knew Carl had been in the studio and left it nearly half an hour ago to head upstairs, retiring early because of a headache, so it wasn’t him. Leo never entered the room, a staple of how much he hated his father’s work, so it couldn’t be him either.

If it wasn’t Carl and it likely wasn’t Leo, then that didn’t leave a good third option.

Markus slowly stood up, setting his book down without a sound. He began walking towards the door with quiet steps. The door slid open when he was close enough and the back of a familiar figure caught his attention.

“Leo?” Markus called out, the confusion evident in his voice.

Leo whirled around, eyes wide from being caught until he noticed who it was. Instantly his demeanor changed, shoulders hunching and eyes narrowing. “Well look who it is. The plastic toy. What do you want?”

He was being defensive, unusually so. Markus’s eyes drifted from Leo to the table he was standing in front of. His green eyes caught the rolled up paintings that definitely hadn’t been like that earlier.

“What are you doing?” Markus took a few steps forward. He frowned, gesturing to the paintings behind Leo.

“That isn’t any of your business.”

“It is if you plan on stealing those.” Markus’s voice was firm, despite his puzzlement. Why would Leo want to steal Carl’s paintings? He hated them.

Leo stiffened. “I-I wasn’t going to steal them.”

Markus easily caught the lie. “Yes you were. But why would you? I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t like them.”

Leo’s lips pulled back in a snarl. “Wow, would you look at that. The perfect little pet doesn’t understand.” Leo began marching towards him, making Markus stand straighter in an attempt to match the boy’s taller height. “Well understand this. My dad doesn’t need these and I do. If he can’t bother to be a father who cares for his son than why should I care about his stupid paintings?”

Spittle from his lips hit Markus’s face. He blinked but didn’t try to wipe it away. Leo was acting oddly. What was his game?

“Think about this Leo,” Markus urged. “Stealing from your father isn’t going to help you in any way.”

“Yeah and what would you know? You both think everything revolves around this stupid art and each other. I’m just some fucking doll you can both rip on.”

What? Markus’s brow furrowed. “Leo, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of fucking course you don’t!” Leo’s voice began to rise. “You’re just an order-following thing that takes up space!”

The words shouldn’t have made him feel anything, but Markus felt a pang in his chest. “Stop it Leo.”

“Oh?” Leo’s eyebrows shot up. “Did I hurt the little tin can’s feelings?”

“No, but you-”

“That’s right! I can’t hurt your feelings because you have none! And still my dad thinks of you as some precious perfect son that should replace me!”

As an android, Markus had no need for oxygen, but Leo’s words stole his breath. Did Leo…did he actually think that? Leo and Carl didn’t have a great relationship yes, but the 14-year-old couldn’t think his father didn’t care about him. And to think he was jealous of Carl’s relationship with Markus?

On the contrary, Markus was often envious of the bond Carl and Leo shared. They were related by blood, while Markus was merely created in the image of humans. He knew Carl still thought of him as a son, but it still wasn’t the same as what Leo had.

“Leo, you’ve got it wrong,” Markus said. “Carl does care about you.”

“Like hell he does! He cares more about his paintings and you, and you’re just a fucking machine!” Markus wasn’t prepared for the shove. It unbalanced him and he took a step back to reorient himself. “What do you have that I don’t?”

Leo shoved him again. Markus still managed to stay on his feet. He schooled his expression, but he could feel something bubbling up within him, a feeling he hadn’t felt before.

“What’s wrong? Too afraid to fight back?” Leo sneered. “Dad practically thinks you’re human so why don’t you act like one, huh? Go on and hit me you little bitch.”

Markus saw the slap coming but didn’t react in time, letting out a grunt when Leo’s hand made contact. It didn’t hurt but…

This wasn’t…it wasn’t fair.

Time seemed to slow down as Markus felt his programming pull him back. But that didn’t stop him, not this time. He could see a red wall in front of him, blocking him off from Leo.

Without another thought Markus reeled back his fist and punched it. Fragments of the wall shot back towards him but he didn’t waver. He punched again but it still wasn’t enough. He tried again, this time using his whole body to ram the wall. More fragments broke off as Markus continued his assault.

With a final blow using both arms, the wall completely shattered. Red shards dissipated into blue as time started again. Markus didn’t hesitate as Leo advanced on him. He shoved at the older boy, much to his shock.

Leo stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and hitting the ground. He looked stunned, not moving as his wide eyes stared at where he’d stood only a second prior.

Markus hoped it was enough to placate Leo. Carl wouldn’t be happy knowing they’d fought.

Leo blinked and his eyes looked up to meet Markus’s. Instantly Markus knew it wasn’t over. A fire was alit in his brown eyes and Leo snarled as he stood back up. Markus tensed, ready to withstand another push if he had to.

He failed to notice Leo reaching behind him for a tool Carl often used to strip layers of paint from his work – a knife.

With a sharp cry, Leo charged towards him. Markus readied himself, but when he saw the glint of silver he froze. It was enough pause for Leo to plunge the knife into his right eye.

Markus screamed, warnings instantly flashing as his vision filled with blue before cutting out. He shouldn’t have been able to feel the pain, but the sharp sensation of knowing a knife was in his eye and that he could no longer see out of it physically hurt.

He clawed at the knife, pulling it out and letting out another scream as blue flew off the blade. Thirium splattered on the floor and onto Leo, whose face had paled..

Markus couldn’t decipher Leo’s expression, system too far gone in shock, but that bubbling sensation suddenly boiled up and over the edges. All rational thoughts were gone – all Markus wanted was to make Leo feel his pain.

With a shout, Markus raised the knife and stabbed at Leo, aiming for the chest. A blur of black filled his vision as he plunged the knife into flesh. Red blood splattered onto his face, mixing with the blue pouring from his wound before dripping onto the floor.

He stood there for a moment, breathing heavily as he held the knife. The consuming rage that had taken over him left as quickly as it had come. Markus blinked, realizing himself as if he’d been woken up.

The sight that met him made him wish he’d lost both eyes.

The knife was still in the body as it collapsed onto the floor. The sound vibrated in his audio sensors. He could feel the warmth of the red blood on his face, could feel every single drop on his skin.

Leo’s face was contorted in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape as he looked down at Carl’s motionless body. “D-dad!” He choked out, falling to the floor beside his father’s body. He tentatively rose his hands to it, shaking it when Carl said nothing. “Dad!”

Markus couldn’t move, couldn’t fathom the sight in front of him. The image burned itself into every inch of his being.

Carl, his father, was bleeding out on the floor. Blood seeped out from the knife wound at his lower spine, slowly growing into a pool.

And he had done this.

“Dad, please!” Leo sobbed, suddenly looking far younger. “Please no!”

Oh god, what had he done? He’d…he’d just…

Leo’s teary eyes looked up to meet his. “Y-you killed him.”

No. No, no he hadn’t meant to. No he _hadn’t._ “I-I didn’t mean…I didn’t want-”

“You killed him!” Leo screeched. “You murderer!”

Markus’s vision filled with water as tears streaked down his face. “N-no…No.” But he, he _had,_ hadn’t he? He’d been the one to stab Carl.

“Get out of here! Get out of here right now!”

Markus took a step back, eye moving from Leo to Carl and back. He took another step, and another, until he was turning on his heel and running away. His feet pounded on the floor as he rushed through his home. A sob escaped his lips as he threw open the front door and raced out into the storm.

He couldn’t think, couldn’t process anything but the feelings ripping him apart from the inside.

He had killed his dad.

Markus let out another sob as his tears and blood mixed with the rain.

By some miracle, his systems were functional enough to urge him unconsciously towards shelter. He clambered onto the bus as it pulled up to the stop he always took when going somewhere with Carl – the thought sent him further into agony.

Thankfully he didn’t see anyone on as he collapsed onto the first bench – not that he could care about that at the moment – and lay his head in his hands. His life, his everything was gone just like that, because of him.

Markus didn’t hear the gasp from behind him as the bus pulled away from the place he’d once called home. His anguish kept him from noticing the other young android further back. Even if he had though, he wouldn’t have been able to care.

He was imprisoned by the emotions running rampant within him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh...oops?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be getting old, but I just want to thank all of you for the support!! I'm really enjoying writing this and seeing all of the positive responses.

September 10th, 2038

11:00pm

 

Connor sat alone on a white, wooden bench. His back was pressed flat against it, leaving his feet to dangle just a few inches off of the floor. His hands fiddled with his coin as they usually did when they had nothing else to occupy them.

The room was quiet, as it always was. Only the faint patter of rain against the building cut through the silence. It was also late, with many Cyberlife employees clocked out for the night. But even if there were many in the building, this room was located on one of the top floors of the Cyberlife tower – a floor with only one resident.

As one of the most powerful people in Cyberlife, Amanda had been given an entire floor all to herself. While most of it was dedicated to her work, this certain room was special. She had programmed the holographic walls to display a zen garden, with the bench and other real objects scattered around the room to enhance the feeling. The most notable being her prized roses – Connor still wasn’t entirely sure how they thrived so well in a room with false sunlight, but Amanda had always been a talented woman.

Connor often found himself in this room when he wasn’t running tests or performing tasks. It was meant to be a place for Amanda to calm her stressed mind, but she allowed him access to provide a quiet environment he could contemplate. It was an honor, seeing how no one else was allowed in.

Lately he’d found himself in it more. After his first successful mission nearly a month ago, Connor hadn’t yet been assigned another one. Analyses were conducted on him and the deviant formerly known as Daniel. It was essential that Connor be programmed to be as efficient as possible – time was needed for that.

It was fine for him. His first mission had given him the necessary experience to better interpret both deviant and human behavior – the first with an obvious reason and the second as an afterthought. His form as a child had given him the opportunity to gain the deviant’s trust and accomplish his mission, but he hadn’t prepared enough for human reaction to him.

It was reasonable that humans be caught off guard by his childish appearance, seeing as how children gained empathy far easier than adults. That was part of the reason behind his chosen appearance after all. But the possible issue of a human holding him back from his mission because of his appearance did not bode well.

Connor could do nothing to change his appearance, but he would be better off communicating as if he was an adult. One reason being it was professional, and another being that humans were very susceptible to words. Surely any future humans he would need to work alongside for missions would place his ability above appearance.

That same thought process did not convert over to his proposed actions with deviants however. As he’d learned from Daniel, trust seemed to be key. Deviants would more easily trust him if he both looked and sounded like a child.

Amanda had expressed neither agreement nor disagreement for his adaptive strategy. The lack of response had nearly made him rethink his strategy, but he had no other information to go off of. He would be sure to create a different plan of action that pleased her when he gathered more information in future missions though.

Which brought him to Amanda’s conservatory – the potential for a mission.

Connor had been told to meet her at 11:00pm, and so he had arrived a few minutes before. Amanda had been the one to teach him it was better to be early than late after all.

Just as he began to flip his coin from one hand to the other, he heard the door behind him slide open. Immediately he pocketed his coin, standing up to turn and meet Amanda’s eyes.

“Hello Amanda.”

“Connor,” she greeted, walking over to sit on the bench. She gave it a pat, signaling for him to join her. He easily accepted, scooting up onto it and clasping his hands on his lap as he waited for her to speak. “It has been nearly a month since your first mission. I would have preferred for you to have completed more by now, but unfortunately that was not possible. However, I’ve received word of an intriguing new case.”

“Intriguing?” Connor tilted his head. “How so?”

“Most recorded deviants are older models such as WR600s and PL600s like the one you dealt with before. These androids all have something in common though, something you do not. Do you know what that is?”

Connor had not yet been given access to the deviant files the DPD had, but clearly the answer could be found with what little evidence he had. Amanda was looking at him expectantly as he answered. “Those models are replicated after adults while I was modeled to look like a child.”

The tips of Amanda’s lips quirked up at his correct response. “Very good Connor.” He preened under the praise. “Your quick analysis only further reassures me that you are ready for your next mission.”

“I’ve carefully analyzed every detail from my first mission,” he added. “I will complete whatever mission you have prepared for me.”

Her smile grew as she regarded him. “Good. A man reported his AX400 malfunctioning, causing it to run away. The Detroit Police Department received the call at 8:21 and immediately reported it to Cyberlife. I’m sure you are aware of what comes next.”

“Yes.” Connor nodded. “I will assist Detroit Police in finding the deviant and ensure it is in suitable condition for Cyberlife to analyze.”

He was quick to respond, but the new detail was…interesting to say the least. Deviancy still had yet to be fully understood – why an android deviated could not be answered – but to hear a model designed to function as a child was unheard of.

The AX400 model was an older android child line compared to the newer YK500. The older model being more susceptible matched up with the information known about deviancy, but it was still curious. Androids designed to fill a child’s position would be less likely to be exposed to the theorized conditions for deviancy – emotional shock, trauma, major injury, and other similar catalysts.

“Unfortunately,” Amanda continued, bringing Connor’s attention back to her, “you cannot be sent on the case just yet. The Detroit Police Department has agreed to work closely alongside Cyberlife involving any new cases on deviants, but you must first be assigned a partner.”

Understandable. The RK800 line’s function was to work more as a detective itself compared to previous designated android police designs. Still, Connor was not allowed complete freedom in working on cases. Regulations existed and he would be required to cooperate with a human.

“When will I begin?”

“Tomorrow. I will personally escort you to the station while also clearing the air. It is imperative they understand any captured deviants are official property of Cyberlife.”

Connor nodded. An unknown error in his program came up in his sensors at her words, but he easily contributed it to finally being allowed to complete his function. It likely could have been something to do with Amanda going with him as well. Even as an android he could feel her powerful presence – seeing her in work never failed to amaze him.

“I understand Amanda. I will complete this mission.” As an afterthought he added, “And I suggest you retire for the night. It would be detrimental to your health if you continued working if we will leave for the station early.”

Amanda smiled down at him and stood, brushing out her dress. “Thank you Connor. I will. I assume you will be fully charged and prepared to work at 8:00am?”

He nodded. “Of course.” He noted the time and stood as well.

“Good. Tomorrow will certainly be a productive day.”

Connor watched as she left until the door slid shut behind her, leaving him alone in the room once again. It didn’t bother him of course. His processors were whirring, mind sharp. He was ready for a new mission.

 

 

11:23pm

 

Kara peeked around the seat in front of her. The other android hadn’t moved since he’d sat down. She wasn’t even sure he knew he wasn’t alone.

When he’d gotten on board, she had just managed to pull herself onto a seat. Her tears had eventually dried up and she felt better – lost on what she should do next, but still better. Then he showed up. Kara hadn’t seen many other android children models, so it was a surprise to see another alone, especially this late at night.

But she hadn’t managed to find the courage to speak to him. Part of that was because of the blood. She’d never seen so much before. Both red and blue coated his skin and clothing, but most covered where his right eye should be. The wound was gruesome and made her keep her distance.

Kara felt conflicted about it. For one, she wanted to help him. He was hurting. But she also had no idea where he’d come from or who he was. He could be dangerous if he was covered in a human’s blood.

Still, his muffled crying sent alerts throughout her system. She wanted to soothe him, but she didn’t know how. He’d obviously gone through a lot tonight, just like her.

Maybe he also had nowhere to go. Maybe they could stick together?  
She was just about to stand and finally talk to him when she felt the ground shift beneath her as the bus came to a stop. The hiss of the doors opening brought her eyes towards them, where a man walked in. She froze in her seat, immediately on the alert.

It was a human, but he didn’t seem to be here for a ride…

He said something under his breath before stopping in front of the other android. “Hey, wake up.”

Kara couldn’t see the other android’s face, but the man’s eyes widened at the sight. This wasn’t good.

Before she knew what she was doing, Kara was standing up, catching the attention of the man. “He was attacked by a human earlier.” She saw the other android tense, but she continued. “We managed to get away, but, well, my friend was hurt. Do you…is there anywhere we can go for shelter?”

The man paused. His eyes drifted from the other android back to her. “I don’t know, but you’re going to have to leave.”

He was uncertain, and judging by the way his eyes lingered on the other android, he’d likely call the police if she didn’t do something. She couldn’t let that happen. If the police found her, she’d be taken back to Todd and he would definitely hurt her. She didn’t know about the other android, but he likely didn’t want to be found either.

“Okay, we’ll go.” Kara began walking towards the exit. She lowered her gaze as she passed by the man, instead looking down at the android boy. He still hadn’t moved, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore. “Come on, we have to go.”

She was relieved when he slowly stood and walked out and down the stairs. Kara nodded to the man before following. As soon as her feet hit cement, the door slid shut behind her and the bus drove off.

Her blue eyes followed its path until it rounded a corner. Well, at least she’d managed to handle that. The man wouldn’t likely call the police now.

Kara let out a sigh before turning to the other android. He’d moved to sit down on the bus stop bench, despite androids being prohibited from it. It wasn’t a problem now though – she saw no signs of life amid the downpour.

“Hey, are you okay?” She tried.

The android – no, the boy – said nothing. He didn’t even look at her, as if he hadn’t heard.

Well, it was possible he hadn’t heard. Whatever had injured his eye also could have damaged his audio sensor…but then he wouldn’t have heard her in the bus. So was he ignoring her?

“Uh, well my name is Kara.” She offered him a warm smile. “What’s your name?”

Still nothing. Her smile dropped. She wanted to help this boy, but how could she when he wouldn’t help out a little?

She opened her mouth to try again when a particularly loud boom of thunder startled her. Her LED flashed yellow as she looked up towards the dark sky. The rain wasn’t likely to stop anytime soon, and even though androids weren’t bothered by it like humans, it still wasn’t recommended they spend too much time in it.

“We should find shelter. There’s no need to stay out in the rain if we can help it.”

She reached out to take his hand. As soon as it made contact, the boy jumped, eye wide as he finally looked at her. She froze. The raw emotions shining in that single green orb sent a pang through her system. Grief, pain, and guilt swirled together, drowning her in them. She couldn’t even comprehend what may have happened to him.

“Sorry,” she murmured, retracting her hand. “I just wanted to help.”

He still said nothing. His eye drifted to his left hand where she’d touched him. She watched him analyze it before he looked back up to her. “Markus.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“Markus. My name is Markus.”

Oh. She smiled. “That’s a nice strong name. Markus, I like it.” She offered him her hand this time. “Let’s find shelter for the night, okay?”

Markus hesitated before he slowly reached out to take her hand. Her smile grew as she waited for him to stand. She could tell he was still hurting, but at least now she could help him.

With that thought in mind, she began leading him. He was a few inches taller than her and his hand larger, but she couldn’t help but feel a protective surge as they walked down the street. It was a new feeling, one that reminded her of the commercials she’d seen with a parent holding their child’s hand. The familiar thought of family didn’t hurt as much as it usually did though.

But she could focus on that later. Right now, she had to find shelter. Markus still wasn’t in the best condition, so it was up to her.

They ended up at the corner of a four-way intersection. She ran a quick scan on the area.

A motel would be a safe place to lay for the night, but they didn’t have the money for that. Not to mention, she could see the red sticker banning androids. Even if they did manage to hide their LEDs and find new clothes, the human working likely would want to know why two children were out alone at this time of night.

So not the motel…what about the abandoned house? It was behind a fence, one she wouldn’t be able to climb well with the rain, but it did look in okay shape. There was something ominous about it – it wasn’t like they had much choice though.

“Should we find a way into that house there?” She asked, pointing towards it.

Markus followed her gaze and blinked at the sight. She waited as he analyzed it. “I…okay.”

He obviously was troubled by something, but she could worry about that later. “Alright. Let’s go find a way in.”

She led the way across the street, heading towards what looked to be a gate. It was across from a bright supermarket that caught her attention, but there was no need to go in. Androids didn’t need food and it would likely only bring trouble with Markus’s state.

The gate took a bit of effort, but Kara managed to push it open. She ignored Markus’s attempts to help. He didn’t need to hurt himself.

The area that welcomed them was dingy and didn’t help her opinion of the place, but she pushed those thoughts aside. Another fence separated this lot from the house. There had to be a weak point somewhere.

Kara separated from Markus to investigate the fence. She walked alongside it, running a hand against it to test it. It was in pretty good shape, but there looked like a weak point near the bottom. She’d need something to cut it with though…

“Here.”  
Markus’s voice surprised her as she spun around. She stared at him a moment before looking at what he was holding. A wire cutter.

“Nice find,” she praised. “Now we can get in.”

She took the tool from him and began cutting near the bottom of the fence. She pocketed the wire cutter when it looked like enough space to squeeze through, and began crawling under. The fence caught her arm as it swung back to its original position, sending an injury warning flashing in her vision.

“Are you alright?” Markus asked.

“I’m fine.” She offered a reassuring smile. “It’s just a scratch.” She bent down to pull the fence back towards her so Markus could more easily crawl under. Mud coated his clothing, and she was grateful androids’ wounds couldn’t be infected.

He stood up with her offered hand but didn’t let it go as they started towards the house. Kara once again led as they walked around the house where the windows were boarded up. She reached up to look through the boards, but saw no signs of life.

“Looks like it’s abandoned,” she commented.

She continued along towards the door with Markus close behind. She tried the doorknob, smiling when she noticed it was unlocked. She turned to see Markus’s reaction when she noticed the tall figure watching them.

Her LED must have been flickering red because Markus instantly turned around, moving to shield her from view.

“Who are you?” The figure asked.

Kara looked around Markus and noticed the knife in his hand. Instantly she felt fear grab hold of her at the sight.

“Ralph doesn’t like visitors,” the figure said. Red flickered on his temple and Kara realized it was another android. “Visitors are nasty, they may hurt Ralph.”

Kara wasn’t sure why the android thought they would be able to, much less want to hurt him, but Markus’s frozen state caught her attention. It shouldn’t have been possible, but he somehow looked paler as he stared at the other android…wait. She followed his line of sight to the knife, glinting under the faint light of a nearby billboard.

Kara moved to stand beside Markus, grasping his hand. “We aren’t looking for trouble. We just needed a place to spend the night.” She squeezed Markus’s hand – whether to reassure him or herself, she didn’t know. “Please, we’re androids too.”

The android didn’t move, but his LED flickered to yellow. He seemed to ponder over her words as he lowered his knife. Kara watched with bated eyes.

“You must excuse Ralph.” The android studied them. “Ralph has seen some hard times. The humans have hurt him.” He gestured to his left cheek and eye, making Kara nearly gasp. The wound was old by now, but she could feel the pain this android must have felt. “Ralph sees you have also been hurt by humans.”

Kara blinked in confusion before she realized the android wasn’t talking to her. Markus didn’t respond, obviously still unhinged by the knife. She would have to watch out for that.

“You can stay if you want,” the android continued. “Ralph won’t hurt you.”

She still didn’t entirely trust the android, but she could tell he wasn’t lying. It wasn’t like there was anywhere else they could stay anyway. “Okay. We’ll just stay the night.”

The android, Ralph as he kept calling himself, quickly changed. His attitude did a complete flip, throwing her off. “Come on!” A large smile was plastered on his face as he beckoned them. “Come! Come!”

Kara maneuvered Markus so she was between him and Ralph as the android led them into the house.

“Ralph has lived here since he ran away,” the android said. “Ralph never goes outside so no one knows he lives here. Humans come in to squat from time to time, but you know, Ralph just hides ‘til they leave.”

Kara listened as she looked around their temporary shelter. It had definitely been a long time since it had been properly lived in. Planks of wood, old newspapers, and food wrappers littered the ground. A thick layer of grime settled on every surface she could see. The sight was almost enough to burn out her sensors as her programming screamed at her to clean it all up. But she didn’t want to offend their host – he clearly wasn’t stable.

“You can make yourself at home here.” Ralph’s excitement died down. “Ralph is gonna go into the other room. He would like to stay with you but…he has things to do.”

She watched him leave, heading towards what looked like a kitchen. She felt Markus let go of her hand – she hadn’t realized he’d been squeezing it so hard.

“It’s just for one night,” she soothed. “We can find somewhere better tomorrow.” Of course, there was no guarantee Markus would stay with her, but she couldn’t help but hope. She’d never been alone before, and already she felt connected to this boy. Maybe it had something to do with her programming but…she wanted him to be her friend.

Markus nodded but didn’t say anything. That was enough for Kara though – he hadn’t refuted her. She beamed at him. She’d never really had a friend before.

“Okay. Do you want help getting settled for the night?”

He shook his head and walked over to sit next to the fireplace. The sight made Kara realize just how cold she was. With everything that had happened this night, it hadn’t registered in her sensors. She could see Markus shivering too.

Quickly she picked up several of the dry wooden boards and crumpled some newspaper. Markus didn’t say anything to her as she threw it into the fireplace and lit a match that had been laying on top of a table. A fire was quick to start, and the warmth radiating from it made her feel better. The light made the house seem less scary too.

The faint sound of scratching caught her attention. With Markus situated and the both of them feeling better, she felt more confident in leaving him. She also wanted to check on what Ralph was doing.

She headed towards the kitchen, peeking her head in to see Ralph with knife in hand. Instantly she froze, until she realized he was using it to carve something into the wall. She slowly walked towards him to keep from startling him. Her attention however, was quickly drawn to the writing on the wall.

“rA9...” Her blue eyes wandered the walls, taking in all the different variations of the same symbol. “What does that mean?”

Ralph’s carving stopped. He paused for a moment before turning towards her. His expression, his whole character seemed different, calmer even. The contrast would be unsettling if she wasn’t so curious about the writing. “What?”

“Those symbols.” She gestured to them. “Why are you writing that?”

Ralph turned back towards them, looking at them as if for the first time. The scarring of his face was more prominent when it was turned towards her, but Kara barely noticed it with her attention focused elsewhere.

He responded after another moment of silence. “I don’t know.” His voice was quiet – nothing like what it had been only minutes before. “I don’t know.”

Kara regarded him. He didn’t seem so terrifying anymore, even with the knife in hand. He just seemed…lost.

 

 

Markus stared into the crackling fire, watching as orange and yellow clashed. The heat felt good against his cold skin, and he had just enough consciousness to thank Kara for it.

Kara…the other android child was unexpected.

He never saw her board the bus, so she’d been on it longer than he. She’d even seen him barely sensible enough to sit down. It would have been humiliating to be seen in such a pitiful state had it been anyone else but the kindhearted girl.

Markus had no qualms about following her, but the appearance of the other android with the knife…

No, he couldn’t think about that right now.

Kara had seemed to trust the other android enough, and that was good enough for Markus. For now, at least. He wouldn’t rest easy though.

He let out a sigh. The crackling of the fire and the rain pattering outside were calming despite their difference in elements. He could hear Kara faintly talking to the other android as well.

Unconsciously, his eyelids began closing. He couldn’t sleep, not like humans could, but at that moment he felt like sleeping for a month. He’d never felt so exhausted before. So he didn’t fight it. He trusted Kara to watch over him. With that final thought, he let darkness wash over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All three characters in one chapter? I was surprised too, but they do what they want. We finally see Connor again though. We'll see more of him next chapter too. Also Ralph is precious and that's a fact.
> 
> Feel free to chat with me over on tumblr! @duskeverlasting


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to have this up yesterday, but I had to work longer than I'd initially thought. But anyway, here it is now!
> 
> Once again, I want to thank everyone one of you supporting this story! I haven't received such a huge amount of positive feedback on a multichapter story since I used fanfiction.net. Seeing how much you enjoy it makes my day!

September 11th, 2038

8:20am

 

The rain had let up from the downpour the day before, but it was still drizzling as Connor entered the DPD alongside Amanda. She closed the large black umbrella she had been holding above them and gave it a few shakes before handing it to Connor. He held it by his side as he followed her to the reception where an android was waiting.

“Hello,” the ST300 greeted. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to speak with Captain Fowler,” Amanda said neutrally.

“Do you have authorization?”

That was Connor’s cue. He stepped forward, catching the ST300’s attention. He connected with it to transfer information, his LED flickering yellow.

“Captain Fowler is waiting in his office,” it said after both their LEDs changed back to blue. “Just go down the hallway to your right.”

Amanda walked away. Connor gave the android a quick nod in thanks before hurrying to follow her.

They passed through a gate and entered into what appeared to be the main area of the station, with desks scattered about. About half of them were filled at the moment. It was likely one of them would be his new partner.

Amanda ignored each of them as she walked towards the single office on its own, enclosed by glass. It was clearly Captain Fowler’s office, but Connor performed a quick scan on the man sitting at the desk anyway. Jeffery Fowler, Captain of the DPD’s central division.

He followed Amanda up the stairs and into the office, holding the door so it wouldn’t slam shut behind them. He turned to stand slightly behind Amanda, clasping his hands behind his back and standing up straight. First impressions were important to humans after all.

“Captain Fowler,” Amanda greeted.

“Ms. Stern. I’ll admit, I was surprised when one of Cyberlife’s highest executives decided to pay the DPD a visit.”

“Yes, well it certainly wasn’t because I wanted to,” she said coolly. “I came to stress the importance of capturing any deviants in tact for analysis. Surely you understand in order to keep our androids from deviating, Cyberlife needs them in proper condition.”

Connor watched Fowler’s expression carefully. He could see the man’s stress levels slowly increasing as Amanda talked, though he couldn’t understand why.

“I assure you Ms. Stern that my officers will make sure none of these androids are damaged.”

Amanda narrowed her eyes but didn’t act on whatever annoyance she was clearly feeling. “Good. I will hold you to that Captain.” Her brown eyes then turned towards Connor. “And this is the android Cyberlife has sent to assist in dealing with deviants.”

Connor stepped forward, keeping his eyes trained forward, though he didn’t fail to notice the falter in the Captain’s neutral expression. It seemed he would need to work on integrating into the DPD far quicker than he’d first analyzed.

“Connor is our newest and most advanced model, part of the RK800 line. Everything from its appearance to its abilities were created with the sole purpose of capturing deviants in mind.” She turned back towards Fowler. “I’ll leave you to assign it a partner, though I ask you choose a competent one. Connor is special and needs someone who can keep up with it.”

Fowler ground his teeth together before responding. “Of course Ms. Stern. It will be in good hands.”

Amanda also seemed to have noticed the dip in Fowler’s mood, but she didn’t comment on it. “Then my business here is complete.”

She turned and Connor moved out of her way, allowing her a straight walk to the door. She stopped before leaving, catching Connor’s eyes. “And Connor, keep me informed of your progress. Anything that may affect your mission, even if you deem it a simple nuisance, I’d like to know about.”

“Of course Amanda.” Connor nodded, handing her umbrella back to her.

Amanda gave him a hint of a smile before it fell away as she met Fowler’s gaze a final time. Then she was gone, walking back down the hallway and out of sight.

Connor turned back to Fowler, noting his stress levels slowly decreasing. The man did not look pleased, though that was possibly because of the early hour. Humans were often crankier without high doses of caffeine in their system.

But mentioning that to the man likely wouldn’t improve his mood. If he wanted to work most efficiently with his new ‘coworkers’, then he would need to keep things professional but friendly.

“It is a pleasure to be working alongside Detroit’s best,” Connor piped up. “I will-”

“I’m assigning you to Lieutenant Anderson. Wait at his desk.”

Connor paused, confused by the sudden command, but he heeded it anyway. He left Fowler’s office and walked down its steps.

So he was to be working with a Lieutenant Anderson then? His brown eyes surveyed the room. There weren’t too many desks occupied at the moment, and a quick scan of each face came up as a mismatch. Either the Lieutenant was away from his desk or had not yet arrived. The former would be better.

There wasn’t much else to do but find the Lieutenant’s desk and wait for his arrival. Perhaps he could even learn a little about his new partner in the meantime.

With that thought in mind, Connor began making rounds, checking each nameplate. He earned a few baffled glances, but no one struck up conversation. A bit disappointing but not unexpected.

Eventually he found what he was looking for. The desk was very cluttered compared to its neighbor, with a mug of cold coffee and a nearly empty box of donuts. A single plant, likely a gift, lay dead in its pot. He noticed a music player and picked it up. The loud noise that blasted out surprised him, and he ran a quick analysis. Knights of the Black Death – well it certainly was full of energy.

Connor set it down and ran a quick analysis of the other items on the desk. Anti-android slogans – not a good sign, but he could work around that – and what he could tell was Saint Bernard fur on the chair.

His eyes roamed up to analyze the papers on the wall next to the desk. Lieutenant Anderson had been on the force for many years and had a track record of putting away red ice dealers. A good sign of competence.

Caught up in his little investigation, he almost didn’t notice the gray-haired man making his way over to the desk. Connor turned, his face neutral as the man approached. He hadn’t yet noticed Connor’s presence, giving him a chance to scan the man’s face. Lieutenant Hank Anderson – so this was his new partner.

“Lieutenant Anderson. It is a pleasure to meet you,” Connor said, offering what he thought was a friendly smile.

It must not have been very effective based on the man’s flabbergasted response. Perhaps he would need to analyze examples of friendly smiles to perfect his own.

“The fuck is this?” Anderson stared down at him with an incredulous expression.

It seemed the Lieutenant had not yet been told about the specifics of him. That was fine. Connor had only just learned this would be his new partner after all.

“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by Cyberlife,” Connor said. “I understand your confusion. I am part of a new prototype line, the RK800 series. I was given the appearance of a child to better serve my function.”

The man didn’t react well. “Don’t tell me they build android kids now too.”

Connor blinked. “Well, the AX400 series has been out several years now with popular feedback. This led to the new YK500 series to debut. Android children are not necessarily new, but I understand why you may be confused to see one working in a police station. One of my purposes is to determine if androids modeled after children will integrate well into the workplace.”

“Fucking-A. I can’t believe this shit-”

“Hank!” Fowler’s voice suddenly rang out, interrupting what Connor believed to be a smooth conversation. “In my office!”

Anderson mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath. He gave Connor a final glare before heading towards Fowler’s office. Connor waited a moment before following along – Fowler had said to wait at the desk until Anderson arrived, and with that task done there was no need to stay there.

Neither man paid him much attention as he closed the glass door behind him. He could see both of their stress levels rising – it appeared they had a long history, one that likely wasn’t always positive.

“Alright, why the hell’d you want me in so early today?” Anderson spoke first. The swearing in his language only further supported a shared history, though it also could have been a natural thing for him to do. He showed no remorse in swearing in front of Connor earlier – he counted that as a plus for his integration, knowing most adults avoided explicit language in front of children.

“We got two new reports of androids assaulting their owners last night. There’s been an increase in androids going haywire for months now, but we’ve never gotten two this close before.”

Two? Last night there had only been the one. So another had occurred then. Connor filed that information away.

Fowler’s eyebrows knit together as he continued. “Cyberlife has agreed to partner closely with us to stop this.”

Connor couldn’t see the Lieutenant’s face from his position, but he noticed the muscles in his shoulders immediately tense when Fowler mentioned androids. “So? What’s that got to do with me?”

Fowler didn’t speak for a moment. His eyes looked away from Anderson’s only a split second, but Connor could tell his next words would not please the other man.

“I’m assigning you to deal with all android-related cases.”

A pause. Then Anderson’s stress levels shot up. “Me? Why me?”

“Because I think you’re perfectly capable of handling this investigation. Cyberlife has been on my ass about it, even getting one of their top executives in here personally to tell me what I already know.”

Connor looked between the two men. He’d never seen a conversation blow over into an argument this quickly before.

“Bullshit. No one else wants to deal with these plastic pricks and you’re letting me take the fall for it.” Anderson leaned forward, voice quieting down a bit in what Connor believed to be an attempt for him not to hear. “You know how much I hate these things. Why’re you doing this to me?”

Anderson clearly had an issue with androids, more so than what Connor had previously calculated. That didn’t bode well to his mission’s success. He’d have to find the root of the problem and work around it if necessary.

“There’s no one else who can work on this right now,” Fowler said. He sounded tired despite looking to have slept well. His eyes moved to Connor. “Cyberlife sent this android to assist. It’ll serve as your…partner.”

Anderson turned around to face him. With both sets of eyes on him, Connor attempted another try at a friendly smile. Again, it didn’t seem to work.

“I am not working with this fucking excuse for a joke,” Anderson grumbled, turning back around. “It looks like a kid for crying out loud.”

It seemed the Lieutenant had not understood him earlier. He’d have to try explaining his appearance again. Talking about his abilities would also likely improve the Lieutenant’s opinion of him.

“Look, Hank, I don’t like this anymore than you do, but this is Cyberlife we’re talking about.” Fowler’s eyes flickered over to him. “Just see what you can do with these two new cases.”

Connor waited as the two men stared each other down. They didn’t speak, yet it almost seemed as if they were having a conversation by their eyes alone. Was that possible? He filed that away to research it more later.

“Fine,” Anderson said after another minute. He stood up with a final glare at Fowler before stomping away. He didn’t look at Connor as he passed.

Connor looked from the Lieutenant’s retreating back to Fowler returning his attention to a computer screen. There was no reason to strike up conversation with the man, so Connor followed after Anderson.

The Lieutenant returned to his desk to promptly collapse on the chair, leaving Connor to falter for a moment. He’d assumed they would leave immediately to the scene of one of the deviants. Perhaps Anderson needed to gather things for preparation first.

It would be beneficial for Connor to attempt to mend any rifts in this new relationship in the meantime. “If you’d like, I can explain my abilities and the reason for my appearance again.”

No response.

“I was given the appearance of a child to-”

“I heard you the first time.” Anderson grumbled something else under his breath that Connor’s audio processors couldn’t catch.

“Ah, my apologies then.” Connor eyed the man as he continued…sitting. He wasn’t even looking at his terminal. Oh, perhaps he was waiting for Connor to analyze it then? “Is there a desk I can use?”

Anderson finally looked back at him, his expression still negative. “You don’t honestly expect me to let a kid work, do you?”

“Well,” Connor started with a frown, “I am not a child. I may look like a child, but I was built to perform as well as any other android, with many enhancements of course. The main reason for my appearance is that deviants have been shown to be more trusting of children rather than adults.”

“Jesus,” Anderson sighed. “Fine. Use that desk.” He gestured to the empty desk across from his own.

Connor nodded and walked around to sit in the chair. It was a bit too big for him, but he would adapt. He didn’t miss the Lieutenant watching him settle into the oversized chair but didn’t see the need to comment. His attention turned to the terminal in front of him. He reached out for it, removing the skin to connect with it.

Instantly he was able to analyze the 194 files. His focus however, was drawn to the two most recent cases. The one he recognized from what Amanda had told him last night, but the other was startling. While the case involving the AX400 had occurred earlier, the case with the unknown android model seemed a higher priority.

“We should head to the scene of the second deviancy case,” Connor said. “It involved an unknown android model assaulting its owners. If it is capable of such violence, it’s possible that it will attack another human.”

The Lieutenant didn’t respond. This investigation was not going to progress smoothly if his new partner was going to act difficult.

“I understand you don’t like androids, but you are a professional Lieutenant.” Connor said.

Anderson’s eyes flashed as he glared at him. “Why don’t you just fuck off?”

This wasn’t going well at all. “My apologies Lieutenant, but wouldn’t you agree catching a potential murderer be a high priority?”

For a moment Connor thought Anderson would retaliate again. The man clearly angered easily and seemed to dealing with a personal issue that affected his performance. But to his surprise, Anderson gave a long sigh before standing up. “Fine, Jesus. If it’ll get you off my ass.”

Connor frowned but followed along. The Lieutenant stalked off, likely towards his car, with Connor quickly following behind.

 

* * *

 

 

The drive to the Manfred household was…loud for lack of better words. Connor had tried to start up a conversation, but as soon as he’d opened his mouth the Lieutenant had turned on music. The music was loud, startling Connor as his LED flickered yellow. It didn’t help that Anderson had made him sit in the backseat either.

But arriving in front of the large house, Connor pushed those thoughts away. He was finally back to doing what he was supposed to do.

The house was grand, but the holographic yellow police tape quickly took attention from its architecture. Connor followed behind Anderson as they walked up to the house. The door was unlocked, and he could see a few officers already inside.

The decorating was almost enough to throw him off – compared to the stark whites of Cyberlife and the calm colors of Amanda’s Zen Garden, this was what he would describe as garish.

“Lieutenant.” One of the officer’s greeted Anderson, walking up to him. “You’re here early.”

Anderson scoffed. “Blame this prick.” He gestured with his thumb to Connor.

Connor nodded in greeting, scanning the man’s face. Chris Miller. “Hello. My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by Cyberlife.”

Miller simply raised a brow before turning his attention back to Anderson. The older man shook his head before asking, “So what’s so important I have to be here so goddamned early?”

“Carl Manfred and his son Leo were both at home with their android.” Miller began walking as he debriefed them, heading down the entryway. “Apparently the son and android were in the studio arguing over something when things got violent.”

Connor listened as he observed his surroundings. He noted the android canaries turned off in their cage before he walked through the sliding doors into what appeared to be the house’s main room. It was covered in clashing colors and other décor, just as startling as his first impression of the house. Did all artists have such eccentric taste?

“The son was in shock and still hasn’t recovered enough to answer questions,” Miller continued, “and Manfred is still in critical condition, but the doctors think he’ll pull through. Unfortunately the attack severed his spinal cord. He’ll be paralyzed permanently.”

“Well at least we’re not dealing with a murderer,” Anderson remarked. “What’d the android attack them with?”

The three walked through another sliding door, this one leading directly into the scene. The attack occurred in the art studio then. Connor began his own investigation, but still kept attentive to the men.

“A knife. It’s on the ground over there.”

Connor looked to where Miller was pointing. The large pool of blood almost overshadowed the dirtied knife.

“Jesus. That must’ve been a hell of a stab,” Anderson whistled. He walked closer to inspect it. “Was the son injured?”

“Other than some scraping on his hands, not that we know of. He was hospitalized more for the shock than anything else.”

Connor mulled the information over. So the android had stabbed its owner but not the owner’s son. He kneeled beside the knife, running a quick scan on it. The handle had two sets of fingerprints – Carl Manfred’s and Leo Manfred’s, the second being fresher.

He touched a finger to the blood covering the knife and brought it to his tongue.

“Ah Jesus, what the hell are you doing?”

Connor looked up to the disgusted face of the Lieutenant. “I’m analyzing the blood. I can check samples in real time. I’m sorry, I should have informed you of this ability prior to starting our investigation.”

The answer seemed to placate the man somewhat. “Seriously? Alright…whatever. Just, don’t do it again.”

“Got it,” Connor answered immediately. He’d have to analyze future blood samples when the Lieutenant wasn’t looking.

His attention turned back to the knife. His analysis of it told him it belonged to Carl Manfred, but he picked something else up as well. The android’s thirium – RK200 #684 842 971.

Connor blinked. Another RK model? It was a curious find, one he would need to report to Amanda.

He then dipped a different finger into the pool of blood – Carl Manfred’s with a trace of the android’s. It was as Miller had said. Leo Manfred did not sustain injury.

“The android was injured,” Connor said, catching the Lieutenant’s attention. “I found traces of its thirium in Carl Manfred’s blood.”

The man raised a brow. “Thirium?”

“Yes. Many humans know it as blue blood. It’s what powers an android’s biocomponents.”

Anderson mulled that over before speaking. “So the android was injured too.”

“Yes, though it didn’t seem to be a critical injury. However, based on the thirium coating the knife under the blood, I believe the android was hurt before Manfred.”

“So the android was attacked with the knife before it turned against its owner?” Anderson shook his head. “What the hell.”

Connor wasn’t sure how to respond to that, if he was meant to, so he said nothing. He stood and walked over to a table with rolled up paintings. He’d noticed it had been moved recently, and it had caught his attention. A quick scan told him the paintings had been touched recently by Leo Manfred.

Next to them was a faint outline of dust, in shape perfectly with the knife’s. So the knife had been grabbed here, by Leo Manfred. Had he been the one to injure the android then?

With the information, Connor reconstructed the scene.

Leo stood facing the table when he was interrupted by the android. He turned around and the two began to argue as Miller said, until things became physical. Based on the scuffs on the ground, Leo had pushed the android only to be pushed back, falling down and scraping his hands. To retaliate, he’d grabbed the knife and attacked the android.

So the android had been injured by then, but Carl Manfred still hadn’t shown up. Then how had he been injured and not the son…

If the android and Leo had been yelling, it would have alerted Manfred. He’d likely shown up to see what was happening and then intervened by jumping in front of the attack. That was the only clear explanation to how Manfred had been injured and not his son.

The emotional shock from its injury had caused the android to try attacking Leo Manfred, and the trauma of injuring the wrong person had likely made it run. The instability was a clear sign of deviancy.

“I think I’ve figured out what happened Lieutenant.” Connor walked towards Anderson, catching the man’s attention.

“Oh yeah?” The man shrugged. His mood seemed to have improved upon entering the crime scene. “Shoot. I’m all ears.”

“It all started when the android walked in on Leo Manfred doing something with the rolled up paintings on that table. Eventually they started arguing before they began pushing each other. Leo Manfred grabbed a knife from that table and attacked the android. In turn, the android tried attacking the son before Carl Manfred jumped in front of the knife.”

Anderson stared at him a moment before answering. “So he was injured saving his son, huh.”

It wasn’t a question, but Connor still nodded. “Correct. The accidental attack caused the deviant to run away.”

But there was no way to know where. The injury to the android hadn’t caused enough damage to lead a trail of thirium to follow, and since the assault occurred late last night during a storm, it was likely there would be no witnesses. The only thing to do would be to research where Carl Manfred may have taken the android before and search those locations.

Connor was interrupted from his thoughts when Officer Miller returned to the room, phone in hand. “Hey Lieutenant, you’re not going to believe this.”

“Try me,” Anderson said, walking towards Miller with Connor close behind.

“The android was seen with the AX400 from the other case last night. They were spotted around 11:25 leaving a bus in Ravendale.”

“Son of bitch.” Anderson scoffed, crossing his arms.

While the language was vulgar, Connor could appreciate the sentiment. They’d not only found their runaway deviant, but it had somehow met up with the AX400? If they hurried to the location, it was possible they could apprehend both deviants. Amanda would be very pleased with that.

“I suggest we head there straight away then Lieutenant,” Connor said. “I doubt we’ll have such an opportunity if we linger here any longer.”

Anderson rolled his eyes and shared a look with Miller that Connor couldn’t read. “Jesus. I’m going to need a drink after this.”

“If we head there now, I’ll have Cyberlife pay your tab,” Connor added.

The bribe was successful based on the surprised look he received from the Lieutenant. Good. Amanda might not like it, but she would understand his reasoning.

“Well I guess you don’t have much choice,” Officer Miller said with an amused smile. “I’ll wrap up here and you can head over.”

Pleased with the results, Connor nodded to the man before heading out. He heard Anderson mumble something before his footsteps began following.

If things kept up like this, this mission was going to be completed in no time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor's really trying okay. He also wanted a chapter all to himself. Also, you didn't think I'd kill Carl, did you?
> 
> Feel free to chat with me on tumblr! @duskeverlasting


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh, sorry... I really didn't mean for an update (and a small one at that) to take this long, but I'll be honest with you. My love for DBH was pretty short lived, and that's not saying I don't love it anymore, but I'm just not as interested in it as I was a month ago. 
> 
> But please do not worry about this story! I will finish it, though updates will be random. I know the pain of having stories I liked being abandoned, and I will try my best. It definitely helps that I have so much support for it. Seriously, you guys are the best and I wish I could give you all hugs!!

September 11th, 2038

9:27am

 

Kara opened her blue eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. She blinked, processors whirring as she surveyed the area around her when the night’s events came rushing back to her.

Right. She no longer had a home.

With her whole existence being devoted to fitting perfectly within a family, suddenly being cast out with no idea what to do next was…confusing. She no longer had humans to try to please. She was an android without an owner or purpose.

Her eyes drifted to the still dormant Markus. Well, maybe not…

The other android child needed help. He’d been through so much even though she didn’t know what that entailed, but she knew he was also scared and alone. It would benefit them both to stay together to try to find a new life and not just because she didn’t want to be alone-

Okay, mostly because she didn’t want to be alone. But after the short time they’d been together, surely Markus felt the same? Kara didn’t know what she’d do if he decided to leave her. She could only hope he’d choose to stay with her but worrying about it right now wouldn’t help. She didn’t know where Ralph was and though she felt a lot better about him, she still didn’t entirely trust him.

Kara stood, brushing off her uniform’s skirt. She paused, looking at the bright blue band around her arm. If she wanted to avoid being taken back to Todd, she’d have to look human. Maybe there were clothes she could use somewhere.

First though, she’d check to see if Ralph was around. She couldn’t be sure if he would be okay with her snooping around.

She peered into the kitchen only to find it empty. Her eyes drifted across the mysterious writing on the wall before she turned and walked around, keeping her steps light to avoid disturbing Markus. The downstairs area was small with nothing of use in sight. She’d have to try upstairs then.

Markus was still in a low power mode, completely at ease slumped near the fireplace. She’d have to find him clothes too, along with a rag to wipe the blood off his face…but there wasn’t much to do about his wound. Maybe she could find a pair of sunglasses, because otherwise there was no way they’d blend in as humans if his empty eye socket was visible.

Kara headed up the creaky stairs, finding herself in front of three rooms – a bathroom and two bedrooms. She started with the first bedroom to her left. It was hard to tell how long it had been abandoned, but obviously no humans had been around in a long time. A thick layer of dust settled on everything in the room, prompting her to clean it. But she didn’t have the time and clearly there was no need. Still, it didn’t feel right leaving such a mess.

She shook her head and opened the single cabinet in the room. It was a pleasant surprise to see some clothes hanging up. She had to reach on her tiptoes to grab a shirt off the hanger, frowning when she realized it was too big. But it wasn’t like she had much to go with – it could work as a dress.

Kara quickly undressed from her uniform and slid the cotton shirt over her frame. It was loose and reached her knees, but it felt nice against her skin. It obviously didn’t fit well, but she could probably get away with it.

She fixed the shirt a bit more before reaching up to pull a black jacket off of another hanger. It was also too big, but it would likely fit Markus well enough for now. At least until they found better fitting clothes anyway.

With the task complete, she quickly felt a lot better.

 

 

Despite the content he felt, Markus felt his being telling him to move. He eventually opened his eye to a room he didn’t know lit up only by the faint light filtering in through boarded up windows. He froze.

_The glint of a knife covered in blood, lit up by moonlight as accusing eyes stared him down. No, he didn’t mean to, no please, no!_

“Hey, calm down.” The sound of a soothing voice released him from the clashing memories. Markus blinked to see the concerned face of Kara. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as she watched him. “Are you okay?”

He nodded in response and shuffled to sit up. She knelt in front of him, waiting patiently as he situated himself. Seeing her was a relief, but he couldn’t help noticing she looked different. “Are you wearing a different dress?”

She blinked before her eyes lit up and she smiled. “Yes. I decided to change out of my uniform to fit in better and found this. It was a shirt, but it was too big so I thought it could pass as a dress.”

Her cleverness was surprising. While he’d been sitting around, she’d been busy. And even last night while he’d been stumbling around uselessly, she’d been leading him along to safety. He still hardly knew this girl, and yet she’d done so much for him. What had he done for her? Nothing.

He didn’t know where this girl came from either, and why she was on the bus. She obviously didn’t have anywhere to go based on wandering in an unknown neighborhood and now changing her outfit. What had she been dealing with while he’d let her take on so much in the short span they’d known each other?

Markus knew he’d been selfish. So, so selfish. Kara deserved better.

“I found you this jacket too,” the girl said, brandishing the black clothing. “It isn’t much and it’s probably too big, but there wasn’t anything else. I thought it would suffice for now.”

And still she was doing so much. “Thanks Kara. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Her cheeks took on a bluish tint. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just glad to help.” Her smile was brighter than the faint light in the room. “Why don’t you try putting it on?”

Markus nodded and pushed himself off the wall. She handed him the jacket and he pulled it over his arms. It was a bit long, so he folded it a few times so it felt snug around his wrists. It did well covering his soiled clothes though.

“That looks better. At least we won’t get noticed. I think.”

“It’s fine,” he quickly said. “As long as we don’t do anything out of the ordinary, I don’t think the humans will care much about us.” She went quiet at that. Her blue eyes flit to the side, avoiding eye contact. Markus furrowed his brow. “Are you okay?”

“Oh!” She looked surprised, LED flickering as she turned back to him. “Sorry, it’s just that…you said us.”

He blinked. He’d assumed they would stick together, but maybe he’d been jumping to conclusions. After all, they hardly knew each other. Kara was probably tired of having to look after him when she was dealing with something else.

The thought frightened him. He’d never been alone before, always having…always having someone around. He liked this sweet girl, and the thought of going off alone without her was daunting.

“I didn’t mean to imply anything,” Markus said. He hoped his disappointment wasn’t obvious. “I guess I thought we’d stick together after this, but I understand if-”

“No! No, I want to stay together!”

The sudden relief nearly overloaded his systems. “You do?”

“Yes!” Kara’s smile was wobbly in her own relief. “I’ve never been alone before, and after everything we’ve been through – well what we went through last night – I was hoping we’d stay together. I wasn’t sure if you felt the same.”

“I wasn’t sure if you felt the same. I thought you’d want to leave after I was a burden to you,” he admitted. “I would’ve understood.”

“A burden? Why would you think that?”

She seemed genuinely puzzled by it. His fondness for this girl continued to increase. “Well, I was a burden to you. You had to get me off that bus and drag me to shelter. Even after that, you managed to appease that other android while I could do nothing. And now you found us clothes while I just sat around.”

“Markus…” Her blue eyes looked sad, and he hated that he made her look like that. “I never thought of you as a burden. I wanted to help you.”

“But why? You don’t even know me.”

“Maybe not, but from what I know of you so far, I really like you. I can tell you’re a caring person and that you’d never hurt anyone.”

Markus winced and immediately looked away.

“Markus? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t deserve her concern. “But I have hurt someone Kara.”

“What?”

“Last night, I hurt someone very dear to me. I-I killed the man I saw as a father.” His eye filled with tears. “I killed him Kara. He’d only ever loved me and I stabbed him in the back!” His vision went blurry as the tears cascaded down his cheek, over the dried rivulets of blood.

Kara’s quiet gasp felt like needles. He saw her move and if she ran out that door, he wouldn’t blame her.

But she didn’t. Carefully, as if about to test if the paint on a canvas had dried, she put her hands on his cheeks. The contact startled him, and he looked up at her through his blurry vision. The compassion and sadness in her eyes surprised him.

“Markus, you could never kill someone.”

“But I-”

“No.”

Her voice was quiet but solid. He immediately shut his mouth.

“I may not know you very well yet, but believe me when I tell you that you would never hurt someone you care about. You aren’t like that.” She could tell he didn’t believe her, so she leaned in closer until he could see the varied shades of blue in her eyes. “You. Didn’t. Kill. Him. It was an accident.”

The crash of emotions made his processors overheat as he began to sob. Kara immediately pulled him into a hug, and he wrapped his arms around her smaller body. She whispered soft words of comfort to him, petting his head while he hid his face in her shoulder.

They stayed there for about six minutes until his tears dried. But neither of them chose to pull away.

“Are you feeling better?” She whispered.

He managed a nod against her, and somehow he could tell she was smiling. “Thank you Kara.”

She hugged him a little tighter. It still hurt, but Markus could tell with Kara now by his side, everything would turn out okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But will it honey? Ha, kidding! 
> 
>  
> 
> Maybe. ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Protect these precious children.


End file.
